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Upcoming stuff: The Paleo wheel is rolling!

I haven’t been writing here for a while, but I though I might share some on-going stuff regarding to my personal interests in healthy living and transformation (well, translation too ;)).

First, we’re about to start the first ever Paleo podcast with a good friend of mine, Jaakko Savolahti, under his Helsinki Paleo blog-site (read more here: http://www.helsinkipaleo.com/?p=701. Paleolithic nutrition and lifestyle is also big in the US and has helped thousands of people transforming completely their health from medicine-oriented “treat-the-syptoms-but-not-cure-the-disease” type of health to completely renewing their genetic make-up (yes, we can control our genes and we’re not determined to have any disease “that runs in the family”; it’s the environment…). Anyhow, the first show is online next Wednesday (7.12.) which covers that basics of the Paleo lifestyle and diet.

Second, I am being part of a new upcoming TV program that is a “reality TV show” of two people changing their lifestyles and diets from typical Western to low-carbohydrate high-vitality. The show is called Hei, me karpataan! (http://heimekarpataan.fi/) which means “hey, we’re on low-carb!”. Restricting carbohydrates from the diet is often the easiest way to lose weight, but that’s not all. The whole idea is to provide a natural style of living in which food is essential part of it. There are two people who are going through a complete lifestyle change with the help of a trainer (Jani Sievinen), a cook (Sami Garam) and a doctor. There has been a lot of talk in the media whether this is safe or not, but you might think it this way: the Western diet and lifestyle has created nearly ALL of the chronic diseases of civilization including cancer, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, heart disease etc. Paleolithic lifestyle is what our genetic makeup is handling really well, the problem here are neolithic foods (grains and dairy in particular), inactivity, lack of sun, chronic stress and lack of play and relaxation. Those interested in more detailed information might want to take a look at this article: http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-03-10/zxwmzamcavamnbbrsnrpCihmAzkcpbEdgEkdkontEfCjaDChxbeeqaswJuDE/RRCC-16919-the-western-diet-and-lifestyle-and-diseases-of-civilization_030811.pdf

Third, I am also “working” as a medical consultant on a VLCD diet product called ACKD (or Easy Diet, http://www.easydiet.fi/). This has nothing to do with the TV program mentioned above and this is not to be mixed into a food-based Low-Carb diet. ACKD is a very low-calorie ketogenic diet that has an anti-katabolic feature because of its special amino acid mixture. You can read more information of the product in the web page. Personally I don’t get any money from Easy Diet, so there are zero financial connections from my side on the product. ACKD can function as a kick-start into weight loss and it should be taken only as that. For my patients I recommend moving into Paleo Diet after a few weeks initiation phase with ACKD.

Fourth, I’ve finished my Integral Theory studies at John F. Kennedy University and earned a Certificate degree on Integral Theory. Integral theory is a framework that can be applied into any field or practice, take Integral Medicine as an example. In my opinion the Newtonian linear and mechanistic medicine has come to an end and it is time to realize that we are wholes, non-separable body-mind-spirit complexes that have a soul.

Fifth, training-wise, I’ve somewhat applied a more natural type of training changing from heavy CrossFit oriented “beat-down” training into more focused natural moving, lifting heavy things, sprinting and playing type of thing ;) Those of you interested in more information of that, check out Mark Sisson’s great site (and book): http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Take care of yourselves, love yourselves and share the wisdom and compassion you all have. Namaste.

Hello Esa :) Nice to see your blog, definately gotta take a look at it! And it’s in Finnish, that’s cool too. The energy I get is all around us, you just have to learn to conduct and cultivate it ;) Meditation is one “trick” that has been of greatest help, highly recommended!

Wanted to ask you about the ACKD diet product. I’m having a tough time understanding how that in any way fits into the paleo concept of healthy, natural food? I understand it might work as a kick start in weight loss with obese people for instance but why not just provide them with nutritional education from the get go? Since they need to learn it anyway to to stay healthy for the rest of their lives, right ;)? I’m sure you have a logic here that I’m just not following :).

To speak the truth, ACKD does not fall into paleo, unfortunately :( But, it is a great product that literally cuts the addiction of wheat flour and other grains that for many are just too hard to stop. And for really obese patients ACKD has worked amazingly well without any side effects. The natural move from that is of course paleo. Many of my very obese patients want to try that, many are not ready to make big adjustments into the diet very rapidly.